America’s Oldest Man-Made Attraction Is Right Here In New Hampshire And It’s Amazing

If you live in New Hampshire, you’ve heard of the Mount Washington Auto Road – and there’s a good chance you’ve driven up it. If you haven’t, you’ve definitely seen plenty of “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper stickers! What you may not know is that the auto road up New Hampshire’s tallest peak is also the oldest man-made attraction in the United States.

The history of the Mt. Washington Auto Road dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, when a railroad line carrying freight from Canada to Portland opened up the White Mountains to tourism.

Plans to build a grand hotel at the summit of Mount Washington inspired the construction of a road to lead to the top of the mountain. It's nearly impossible to imagine how the road was built without modern machinery. All supplies had to be carried in by people or animals, and blasting was done with black powder. It took about 9 years, but the road was opened in 1961.

These days, around 45,000 vehicles drive up the road each season (May-October). It typically takes about 30 minutes to drive up the 7.6 hour road, and 30-40 to come down - longer if you need to give your brakes a rest!

To learn more about rates, hours, and vehicle restrictions visit the Mt. Washington Auto Road’s website. Of course, if your car isn’t up to the challenge, you can always take the Cog Railway instead. Either way, the journey to the summit of this magnificent mountain will be just as memorable as the views from the top.